International Conference on Human Rights Research in Armenia (Third Edition)

This conference offers a platform for scholars, students, civil society actors, policymakers, and international development partners to explore pressing human rights challenges in Armenia and to strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration through dialogue and research.

The Conference aims to provide a platform for academics, human rights practitioners, international development partners, and policy makers to explore jointly current and emerging human rights issues in Armenia.

Objectives

• Facilitate Multi-Sectoral Dialogue: Engage scholars, civil society, government representatives, and international organizations in productive dialogues surrounding Armenia’s pressing human rights issues.
• Develop Solutions to Emerging Challenges: Discuss practical and policy-driven solutions to critical issues such as human rights in conflict resolution, environmental justice, access to education for marginalized communities, and gender equality.
• Strengthen Armenia’s Human Rights Framework: Contribute to the strengthening of Armenia’s institutional and legal frameworks for the protection of human rights, informed by research and best practices.
• Promote Cross-Border Collaboration: Foster opportunities for Armenian and international participants to share knowledge, learn from each other, and collaborate on future research and initiatives.

Thematic Areas

• They welcome proposals in relation to the following conference themes:
  • Human Rights and Conflict Resolution:
    • Addressing the intersection of human rights and conflict, with a focus on the NagornoKarabakh situation and its impact on the region.
    • Transitional justice mechanisms and their role in post-conflict resolution.
  • Human Rights and the Environment:
    • Exploring the impact of climate change and biodiversity on human rights, particularly in the areas of health, food security, and livelihoods.
    • Corporate accountability and environmental rights, with a focus on sustainable development.
  • Rule of Law, Access to Justice and Corruption:
    • Investigating the barriers faced by marginalized groups in accessing justice.
    • The role of corruption in undermining human rights and legal protections.
  • Access to Education and Human Rights:
    • Educational Inequality: Exploring disparities in access to education, particularly for marginalized communities, including displaced populations and rural areas.
    • Human Rights Education: The role of human rights education in fostering tolerance, inclusivity, and empowerment, particularly for youth and marginalized groups.
    • Innovative Approaches to Education: Exploring the role of digital technologies and alternative education models to improve access to quality education for all.
  • Human Rights and Poverty:
    • Social justice matters: Exploring how economic inequalities contribute to human rights violations, with a focus on poverty reduction strategies.
    • Participatory development: Empowering diverse groups through human rights-based approaches to economic and human development.
    • Poverty and the right to a healthy environment: Addressing the linkage between poverty, environmental degradation, and human rights.
  • Human Rights and Housing:
    • The Right to Adequate Housing under International Human Rights Law: Progressive realization, non-discrimination, and the concept of adequacy in relation to the right to housing.
    • Regional Human Rights standards related to housing rights: Legal instruments and policies related to the right to adequate and affordable housing. The role of regional courts in enforcing the right to adequate housing.
    • Best practices in tenants’ rights and rental protection measures, with a focus on low and middle-income countries: Measures and good practices related to security of tenure, rent control, protection from forced evictions or other eviction procedures, dispute resolution mechanisms (rental tribunals or other), social housing integration, or other measures aimed at protecting from housing insecurity.
  • Human Rights and Digital Technologies and AI:
    • Analyzing the impact of artificial intelligence and digital technologies on human rights, privacy, and data security.
    • Examining the role of AI in promoting or violating rights, particularly in areas such as surveillance, automated decision-making, and digital identity systems.
  • Business and Human Rights:
    • Examining the responsibilities of businesses in respecting human rights, particularly in the context of labor rights, environmental impact, and corporate governance.
    • Addressing challenges related to holding businesses accountable for human rights violations within global supply chains.

Benefits

• Fellowship Opportunity: Participants of the conference will have the unique opportunity to apply for a research fellowship, jointly organized by the RWI and the UFAR. This fellowship program will provide early-career researchers, professionals, and scholars from the Armenian universities with an opportunity to deepen their engagement with human rights research and practice, receive tailored guidance and support as they develop their projects and research agendas.
• Conference Proceedings: In addition to the fellowship opportunity, participants will also have the possibility of contributing to the conference proceedings, which will be published following the event. These proceedings will offer an excellent platform for researchers and practitioners to showcase their work to a wider audience, further increasing the impact of their contributions. Selected papers will be highlighted, offering participants a prestigious outlet for their research, thereby enhancing their professional profiles.

Cost Covered

• To support inclusive participation, RWI will cover accommodation costs for participants traveling from the regions of Armenia and from abroad.

Expected Outcomes

• Policy Recommendations: Formulate policy recommendations that address Armenia’s pressing human rights challenges, including access to education, informed by the discussions at the conference.
• Research Collaboration: Encourage partnerships between Armenian and international institutions to further human rights research and strengthen local capacities.
• Action Plans: Develop concrete action plans for integrating human rights principles into national and local governance structures, with a specific focus on education reforms.

Eligibility Criteria

• They invite contributions from scholars, students, CSO representatives, and practitioners, including international development partners, and encourage contributions willing to cross boundaries and build bridges between academic disciplines, as well as between theory and practice.
• The conference is open to academics, students, civil society representatives, decision and policy makers who are engaged in or interested in human rights research in Armenia. The conference will accept up to 100 participants.

Application Requirements

• Individual Paper proposals require:
  • Paper title (maximum of 15 words per title)
  • Paper abstract (maximum of 500 words)
  • A 350-word (or less) biographical statement
• Panel proposals require:
  • Panel title (maximum of 15 words)
  • Panel theme (maximum of 500 words)
  • Panel keywords
  • Contact and short bio from each session participant including: first name, last name, affiliation, email address, and a 350-word (or less) biographical statement for each participant.
• Contributions will be accepted in Armenian, English and French.

For more information, visit Raoul Wallenberg Institute.